Waimakariri Pottery Group opens new $120k facility

Members of the Waimakariri Pottery Group have praised their vice-president, Bernard Fears, for his role in creating an extension to their rooms in Loburn Domain.

The $120,000 new facility was formally opened at an open day in the domain recently.

During the function the group’s president, Graham Maguire, said all group members had an input into raising funds the extension but ‘‘the driver of this enterprise was Bernard’’.

He was president of the group at the time and also became project manager, clerk of works, grant application organiser and general go-to-person, Graham said.

‘‘It was a mammoth task and the club owes Bernard an enormous vote of thanks for his work.’’

He also thanked Toni Thomas, a member of the club, who prepared all the plans and drawings, ensured the information for the consent applications was correct and made sure the construction was to plan.

‘‘She also coped with all the changes that a project of this kind generates,’’ Graham said.

The chairperson of the Kaiapoi-Tuahiwi Community Board Jackie Watson, who was a founding member of the group, joined another founding member, Adrienne Lamb, plus Bernard and Graham to cut the red ribbon formally opening the new facility.

‘‘As a former member of a wonderful group that was such an important part of my life in the 70s and 80s it is fantastic to see it still flourishing.

‘‘Both Adrienne and I have countless memories of those early pottery days with dieselfired kilns and a heap of experimentation with glazes,’’ she said.

‘‘It was an exciting time to be a potter as it was a strong movement that was happening all over the country.’’

The group also held a Garden and Craft Ramble fundraiser during the open day to help pay for landscaping the new facility. Ten gardens in Rangiora, Tuahiwi and Waikuku Beach opened to the public for the day.